Arland Bruce III has seen the change in Anthony Calvillo, watching first hand how a future Hall of Fame quarterback adjusts to a new way of running an offence.

Under rookie head coach Dan Hawkins, communication was one of the many issues that would eventually lead to his dismissal, a CFL greenhorn who never fully grasped the nuances of three-down football.

Personnel-wise, basically the same Als offence that came within a dropped ball of playing for a Grey Cup last season had returned.

Bruce arrived on the scene as a free-agent slot, hoping to haul in passes from Calvillo.

“From training camp to now, you can see a weight being lifted from his shoulders,’’ Bruce said of Calvillo.

One week of practice isn’t going to change the fortunes of the Als, but one week of practising under a new system and new direction has led Bruce to several conclusions.

In Montreal, everything starts and ends with Calvillo, whose frustration level grew under the Hawkins system.

“You can feel it in the huddle,’’ said Bruce of the changing culture on offence. “And hopefully we can carry it over into the game.”

The Als will be missing four starters on offence Thursday night against the visiting Argos, highlighted by the loss of star receiver Jamel Richardson, who will undergo season-ending knee surgery, and tailback Brandon Whitaker, sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Bruce will be part of the package, a style of offence that will make Calvillo much more comfortable.

Doug Berry, a former head coach in the CFL, will be calling the plays.

“I guess the good thing for him (Hawkins) is he has a guaranteed contract. He probably needed more seminars to learn the game. It (coaching change) was a distraction somewhat, but you have to move forward.”

The Als, like any team in transition, have no choice.

GM Jim Popp will serve as head coach for the balance of the season, placing a lot of the offensive responsibilities on Berry, Mike Miller and, quite naturally, Calvillo.

“We’re headed in the right direction,’’ said Calvillo.

Like any American coach who comes into the CFL, Hawkins tried to re-invent the wheel when it was completely unnecessary.

While the Als defence and special teams, to some extent, have been solid, the offence has been too inconsistent and too ill-prepared.

It was interesting to hear Calvillo speak about the Als offensive game plan, which was presented to the players on Day 1 of practice.

Under Hawkins, it was given late in the prep week.

From 50 plays on Day 1, to 40 on Day 2 to a 20-play package, the Als, according to Calvillo, were able to practise much quicker and faster.

“We’ve had a great week of practice,’’ said Calvillo.

It’s a start, but how quickly the Als can return to their familiar ways on offence remains the great unknown.

Having Calvillo more comfortable sounds so logical, it defies logic why Hawkins took a proven passer out of his comfort level.

What Calvillo does best is figure out whether defences are playing man or zone.

He then goes through his progression, much like the Argos have with Ricky Ray, and when no down field receiver is open, he throws check downs to his back.

The Argos are making their own changes on defence, roster-wise.

The team’s philosophy under defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones will not change.

In other words, they’ll play press man coverage and attack.

“You’re not sure which direction they’ll be going offensively,’’ said Argos head coach Scott Milanovich.

“For Chris, it’s like the first game of the season, not sure what he’s going to get.”

No doubt the Argos won’t be getting the A.C. who played under Hawkins.

RAY RETURNS

In hockey, a coach is only as good as the team’s goalie.

On the gridiron, a coach is only as good as the team’s quarterback.

Argos head coach Scott Milanovich has the CFL’s top pivot in Ricky Ray, who returns Thursday night after sitting out last week’s win over B.C. because of a strained left knee ligament.

Anthony Calvillo will run the offence he has been accustomed to with the Als, a team that underwent a coaching change.

With Ray, it’s more a case of getting better in a system that’s allowed him to flourish.

“He’s running it like he has his whole life,’’ said Milanovich. “You see it in practice, you see it in games. There’s a comfort level with the whole offence.”

When last seen in Winnipeg, Ray set a CFL completion percentage record for a single game by completing 19 of 20 passes.

A week earlier against Saskatchewan, he completed his first 12 passes.